Subj : Delta Div Hamfests To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Fri Nov 26 2021 09:13:58 The Lawrence County Amateur Radio Club in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, has announced on their website (www.w5wra.org) the date of Winterfest 2022. Typically the first hamfest in Arkansas each year, the 2021 event was canceled due to COVID-19. However, as of now, they're planning to hold the 2022 Winterfest the second weekend of February. Setup will be after 3pm on Friday, February 11, and the doors will open at 8am on Saturday, February 12. All tables will be $10 each. The event will be at the Hoxie Convention Center, where it has been the last several years. There will also likely be an ARRL Forum and VE Testing, as both of these have been done in years past. Details on those will be posted as soon as possible. US 67 is a straight shot northeast from the Little Rock Metropolitan Area, at its junction with Interstate 40 at Exit 155...2 miles east of the junction of Interstate 30 and Interstate 40 at Exit 153. Look for the Hoxie exit...it's around a 90 minute to 2 hour drive from central Arkansas. There are plans to build a 40 mile segment in northeastern Arkansas and southeastern Missouri...eventually linking to, and then becoming Interstate 57, which currently runs through portions of Illinois and Missouri. How long that will take to complete is anyone's guess...but US 67 is "interstate grade" all the way to Highway 412 in northeast Arkansas. This highway runs east to west across northern Arkansas, and further west, it also goes through the communities of Harrison and Eureka Springs. For reservations, or more information on the Lawrence County Winterfest, call or contact Dale, K5ZXH, at (870) 759-2067, or via email to stratton_dale at yahoo.com -- from their website, it appears that talk-in will be on the 147.045 repeater, which is also available on Echolink on node 593943 with the callsign W5WRA. The repeater itself is located in Imboden, Arkansas. Note that this is the same weekend as Orlando Hamcation in Florida. So, for those in the MidSouth wanting a hamfest, but not the expense and distance of Orlando Hamcation, the Hoxie hamfest is a nice compact hamfest to go to. Also, I understand from Rick, KA2BSM, that the MidSouth Amateur Radio Association (MARA) is planning to hold its 2022 Freefest on Saturday, April 9, 2022, in Bartlett, Tennessee. Like with the Lawrence County Winterfest, the 2021 Freefest was canceled due to COVID-19 issues. For more information on Freefest, send an email to Art Barnett at memphis.freefest at gmail dot com Bartlett is located on the east side of Memphis, Tennessee, off of Interstate 40. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive from central Arkansas. From their website, here are directions to Freefest: Bartlett Station Municipal Center (behind the library) 5868 Stage Road, Bartlett, TN North side of Stage Road just west of Bartlett Boulevard Talk-in on the 147.03 repeater, +600 KHz offset, PL Tone 107.2 From Arkansas: I-40 east to Covington Pike, Exit 10 - turn left on Covington Pike - turn left on highway 64 (Stage Road) - cross RR Tracks - FreeFest on left From Mississippi: I-240 North - 40 East - first exit Sycamore View Rd - left on Sycamore View Road (becomes Bartlett Boulevard) - left on highway 64 (Stage Road) - FreeFest on right just before RR track From Millington, Tennessee: 51 South - 40 east - Covington Pike Exit 10 - left on Covington Pike - right on 64 Stage Road - Cross RR Tracks - FreeFest on left From highway 385: Highway 385 - Highway 14 Austin Peay Highway South - 64 Stage Road exit - left on 64 Stage Road - Cross RR Tracks - FreeFest on left From East of Memphis, Tennessee: I-40 west to Sycamore View Road exit - Stay right onto Sycamore View Road which becomes Bartlett Boulevard - left onto highway 64 (Stage Road) - FreeFest on right just before RR tracks From highway 64: Exit highway 64 East - cross Bartlett Boulevard - FreeFest on right just before RR tracks Note that the tracks are an active line with CSX transportation, so at times, you may have to wait for a freight train to clear the railroad crossing. Lastly, for road conditions and construction information, visit the website of IDriveArkansas at https://www.idrivearkansas.com -- you can click on adjacent states (Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri) for related websites. The IDrive Arkansas website indicates the following items: Traffic Patterns: Normal, Slow, Very Slow, and Stopped. In the case of the latter two, you may wish to consider an alternate route. Exit Numbers and Mile Markers are available. Traffic Cameras are available at selected locations. Construction Zones: It's said that "the two seasons on the road are winter, and road construction". This option shows construction zones, gives details, along with current and future lane closures. In Arkansas, traffic fines DOUBLE in WORK ZONES when workers are present...and if you are stopped by law enforcement. Personally, I feel it should be much more than that, along with impoundment of one's vehicle, and revocation of one's drivers license. On some maps, available detour options are shown. Highway Closures: If the highway is closed for construction or flooding...or if there is an incident (i.e. a vehicle wreck/accident), it will be so noted. Weather: This option notes weather radar, warnings, and current conditions. Obviously if there are visibility restrictions (fog, smoke, blowing dust, haze), precipitation (rain, snow, or ice), or severe weather (tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds, flooding), you will need to consider either alternate routes, detours, or even postponing your trip until the weather clears. For more details on weather warnings for Arkansas, you can go to https://www.weather.gov/lzk -- the website for the National Weather Service in Little Rock, Arkansas. You can click on the arrows for adjacent weather sites...including those located in Memphis, Tennessee... Jackson, Mississippi...Shreveport, Louisiana...Fort Worth, Texas... Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma...Springfield, Missouri...and Paducah, Kentucky. With visibility restrictions, you'll need to slow down, use low beam headlights, leave plenty of room between you and the vehicle in front of you, and allow extra time to reach your destination. Deadly chain reaction accidents in areas of fog, smoke, blowing dust, etc. have occurred, because people were driving too fast for conditions...and many are injured or killed as a result. With wet, or snowy/icy roads, it takes a far greater distance to stop safely than on dry pavement. You can easily lose control of your motor vehicle, and become involved in a huge traffic accident...and may be seriously injured if not killed. As a side note, the speed limits are NOT suggestions. Many feel that it's with "the flow of traffic", even if they are driving above the speed limit. On many multi-lane roads and interstates, the left lane should be used for passing...slower traffic (doing the speed limit) should stay in the right lane instead. For more hamfest information, go to www.arrl.org -- click on the Hamfests And Conventions link, enter the desired criteria, and click SEARCH. As a side note, I have NOT heard ANY information on hamfests either in Russellville (normally the first Saturday in March), or Fort Smith (normally the first Saturday in April). The Russellville Hamfest website is at www.arvarf.com -- and the Fort Smth Hamfest website is at hangingjudgehamfest.com As of Nov. 25, 2021, there is NO MENTION of a hamfest on the Russellville website, and there is still data from the 2020 hamfest on the Fort Smith website. Both of these hamfests in 2021 were canceled due to COVID-19 issues. However, Mena is planning to do their 2022 Hamfest on Sept. 9-10, 2022 -- it's always the weekend after Labor Day, and it's the oldest hamfest west of the Mississippi River. Their website is located at www.menahamfest.net Also, the K5BOC Memorial Hamfest is set for Oct. 8, 2022 -- it's a small hamfest on Petit Jean Mountain. Their website is located at www.k5boc.net At this time, I'm not sure which of these I'll be able to attend. Health and financial issues, not to mention long drives or rides, are very hard on me physically. Daryl Stout, WX4QZ --- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33) .